


Future Holds

by AloneShadow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Hurt Tony Stark, I'll write that, Protective Steve Rogers, Protective Team, Relationship Study, Rescue Missions, Tony Angst, Tony Feels, because reasons, if something can go wrong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-06
Packaged: 2018-08-28 11:06:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8443459
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloneShadow/pseuds/AloneShadow
Summary: Tony woke up finding himself lost somewhere in the woods. He don't have the suit anymore and he is completely alone.Did he missed something?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story will be split in two or three parts mostly because self-beta'ing is a nightmare for who really want to write correctly (in a different language) like I am trying to do (and still fail anyway here and there). So I'll free the first part before I start to scream in agony... thing that will probably happen checking the second part.

Tony Stark opened his eyes against the dark trees pointing at the sky like cruel swords: the light that filter through them (pines… they were pines…?) was gray and cold. From the glimpses of sky he could see, stormy clouds were covering the dark blue. 

He smelled the rain, watching just some drops falling from the branches above his face.

Tony slowly closed his eyes, took a long and split breath that almost made him cough and then looked at the sky again… but everything was still the same, “Not good…” he sighed, laying on the grass for another long moment, trying to collect his toughs and memories, until a thunder rumbled somewhere, not too far away. 

Static. A static sound. 

Tony turned his head a little, groaning in pain, giving up and laying his back on the ground again. 

And again, the static sound. 

“JARVIS…” He called, just hoping… as a habit. No one answer him. 

The sound repeated itself, thought, now with some incomprehensible words. 

“Alright…” Tony tried to stand again, managing to balance on one elbow and look around: trees, trees, more trees, bushes, a giant rock not far away and something that seemed a crashing trail close by. He looked down at himself, wearing only his usual t-shirt and jeans, but his right leg was still in the Iron Man suit: the shirt was dirty and wet, cut in some point, like the rest of the clothes. 

Tony sighed touching the metal. “Could be worst.” He said, trying to stand, just to fall forward again. What really scared him, though, was the pain he suddenly felt landing with his hand on the ground: a terrible flash of pain all over his chest and back that almost made him scream, “Ok… it is worst… alright…” Tony breathe fast, steady where he was, waiting for the pain to lessen. He moved a hand behind, brushing on something and this time he screamed, like he haven’t done in a long time. 

_ony_

He kept his eyes closed, the pain still lingering, too scared to move.

_at and don_

Trying to breathe normally, Tony opened his eyes and stared at the ground, then up at the tree. 

No more words, only the static sound again, from that giant rock in front of him.

Tony shook his head, then he took a long and deep breath and tried to stand, slowly and hoping not to feel that pain again. He made a few steps, feeling the leg in the suit in pain as well, but the metal was probably helping. 

He placed a hand on the wet and cold rock, breathing hard, pain flashing all over his back, but he focused on the static sound until he stopped: the Iron Man helmet was there, cracked and scratched, but apparently still kind of working. He crouched down, stopping halfway for the pain. He tried again, slower, and took it, checking it, “He- hello? J?” he called with breathless voice, “Someone…” he tried again and groaned in pain, refusing to see the injure he knew he had on his side, almost on the back. 

_is. I hea_

Tony looked down at the helmet, pressing something inside, “Hey… hello?” 

_Tony! Wher_

“Clint…” he smiled a bit, “Clint, I need help… Clint, you copy?” 

_him! Damn it… Tony hold on, we_

“I am already holding on…” he sighed, “Ouch!” the helmet fell on the ground after give him a shock. Tony tried to keep the rage under control. After a long moment, he took back the helmet and started working on it again. 

“-better will!”

The sudden scream almost made him drop the helmet, “Hello?” Tony stared tiredly at the broken eyes of Iron Man.

“Tony, thank God.” Bruce. Friendly, adorable Bruce Banner. 

“Nice to hear you too…” Tony sighed in relief. 

“What happened? Where are you?” 

“The answer is the same to both your question: I have no idea.” 

“Try to remember, we-” 

“You were in some kind of mission?” asked Clint, sounding not far from the doctor. 

“I was…” Tony looked up, then at the trail of destruction and then at the rock, “I think I crashed… my- the rest of the suit is gone somewhere around here… I hope. I only have one leg still on.” 

“The rest of the suit?” asked the others at the same time, “You managed to break the suit?” Said Bruce, surprised.

“I think?” 

“Tony, please…” 

“Listen, I just woke up, I don’t know what the hell happened, all I know is that I crashed here and impaled myself on- on something.” 

Moment of silence, then Clint took control again, “You’re hurt?” 

Tony shivered at the pain that awakened as if Clint actually called for it, “Nothing serious, but would be nice to come back home… sooner the better.” 

“We’re trying.” Said Bruce, “We were searching for you for hours. The last signal we got said that you were over the Europe.” 

Tony tried to remember and, suddenly, he actually did, “I was. Someone… I think someone shot me down.” 

“You know who?” Clint knew what was important: Tony getting shot flying around the world wasn’t a big deal; who actually tried to kill him was. Gotta love the archer.

“No… but I don’t hear tanks and army coming for me yet.” Said Tony, hearing the others sigh, “I could be already kidnapped, you know?” 

“This is serious! You have no idea of where you are and we either!” Barked Bruce.

“They could come to get you anytime soon, if they saw you falling down.” Said Clint with a serious voice. 

Tony sighed, “I know…uh…” he put a hand on his side, carefully trying not to press on it, but the others heard him anyway. 

“Tony, what happened, really?” asked the spy. 

“Just a scratch, I told you.” 

“You told us you impaled yourself.” Said Bruce. 

“Scratch from impalement. That’s it.” And he smiled hearing them sigh. 

“Listen, all of us is busy trying to find you. Natasha is already flying in Europe to cooperate with the SHIELD base there, in- in France, was it?” said Bruce, probably asking to the spy nearby, “Clint and I will join her there soon. We’ll keep the channel open with you, ok? We’ll find you, just hang in there.” 

Tony sighed and laid his shoulder against the rock, closing his eyes, “I know… take your time. I… I’ll just wait here.” 

“Tony…” Bruce’s voice was serious now, and a bit scared, “You have to tell us if you’re bleeding to death, ok?” 

Tony nodded, “Ok…” and he didn’t fainted. At all. Tony Stark only suddenly fell asleep. 

 

He woke up hearing a voice, but opening his eyes, he found only the dark forest again, the wind hissing through the trees, the smell of the rain… then a crack.  
Tony flinched and turned around, blinking in surprise: a deer was three steps away from him, staring at the poor human hurt and in pain with those black and careful eyes of her. He stared at the animal until she slowly walked away from him. 

Tony smiled a bit, then hissed in pain and looked down: there was blood on the rock he was laying against, still the throbbing pain on his side. 

Stark if you hear me, please, respond.” 

Tony blinked again, turning his head where the suit’s helmet had fell. He took a deep breath and took it with one hand. He checked it for a moment and then pressed a button, “Hey Cap... nice to hear you.” 

Moment of silence, then Steve Rogers’ voice come back clearly relieved, “Same here. Where the hell have you been?” 

“Just resting my eyes.” 

“For almost five hours.” 

“I guess.” Tony looked at the sky again, “What time is it?” 

“Almost ten PM here, and is also time to tell me what happened to you.” 

“Where’s Bruce?” 

“He’s sleeping now. He ran around all day from a computer to another… he was here when I came back. I told him to rest for some hours. Clint took the first flight to Paris tonight to join Natasha.” 

“Well, I can imagine you’ve heard a very funny story about what happened.”

A deep breath, “He just told me that you were lost somewhere in Europe, after someone shot you down on flight. He told me you are without your suit and injured.” 

“Yeah, that’s kind of the sum up…” 

“Are you injured? You can’t walk?” 

Tony looked down at his side again and shivered, “I can stand.” 

“That’s not what I asked.” 

“That’s all you'll get from me at the moment.” 

“Fine. Then try to stand.” 

Tony almost laughed, “Now?” 

“Yes, now.” 

“Is night here… can I have five more minutes?” 

“If you’re hurt, you have to stand and take care of it before you pass out again.” 

“Steve, I can’t see anything…” 

“Isn’t that dark.” 

“How you know?” 

“Because you would be more scared if it was. And because it’s night here in America, so in Europe the dawn shouldn’t be so far.” 

Tony stared at the grass, smiling a bit, “What an amazing Captain…” 

“So, stand up.” 

Tony sighed, grabbing tightly the broken helmet with one hand, using the other on the rock, trying to stand but after just bending one leg, he choked in a half scream and fell down on his knees, the helmet rolling aside. The flashes of pain covering every other sound and Tony breaths come out in fast and painfully huff. 

“-mit… Stark!” 

“Here.” He answer quickly, “Still here.” 

“Tell me how bad it is.” Said Steve and as if he could saw Tony shaking his head, he added in pure Captain’s tone: “Now. Tell me.” 

Tony breathed some more, then said, “S-something in my side.” He looked down and shivered. 

“You know what is it?” 

“No.” 

“You didn’t checked?” 

“No, I didn’t.” 

“You know that could be anything, right? And that you’re risking an infection?” 

“And a bloody death, yes, I know.” 

“You have to-“ 

“No, I don’t have to.” 

“Tony.” 

“I can’t.”

Moment of silence, then Steve’s voice was calmer and… a bit caring, “You can. Just tell me what it is. You don’t have to do anything.” 

Tony shook his head again, looking at the helmet, “You will force me to do something. I know that.” 

“We’ll take care about that later, now I just want you to look at it.” 

After some long breaths, Tony turned his head around and tried to see under his arm. “Shit…” 

“What?” 

“It’s- it’s a branch. Wood branch.” 

“How long?” 

“Maybe… twenty centimeters.” 

“Alright… ok. You feel to have some fever?” 

“No...just headache.” 

“Good. That’s good…” 

“How can it be good? I’m stuck in a damn forest with- with no suit, wounded and-“ 

“I mean that-“ 

“and lost somewhere in the damn Europe, no food, no water and with a branch on my back, how is all this GOOD?!” 

“It’s good that you don’t have fever because that means that there is no infection yet, and is also good that you haven’t removed the branch because that's probably saving you from bleeding to death.” Said the metallic and calm voice of Captain America after a moment of silence, coming from Iron Man’s head. 

Tony just tried to breathe without screaming in pain, kneeling on the ground. 

“What did you always say when one of us got hospitalized? _It could’ve been worse_ , was it?” 

“My God, Captain Irony is just what I need right now…” Commented Tony, looking around in the forest, then at the dark sky and said, “A rocket shot me down… I saw it coming but something was blocking JARVIS defense programs.” He looked down and at the leg still with the suit on, “A pretty nice fall.” 

“It sure was something, if JARVIS couldn’t stop it.” 

“I’m not sure of what really happened.” Said Tony, “I still have one leg into the suit… the helmet was here too...” 

“Broken?” 

“Ready for the trash, yep.” 

“Is not that bad. The GPS is gone, but the communication still works.” 

“No idea how is that possible. I should feel proud of myself I guess.” Tony took the helmet, checking inside, “Probably JARVIS tried to save me from the worst and kicked me out before the crash.” 

“You can’t follow some traces of the landing? Maybe the suit is around there.” 

Tony sighed, “Still night, Cap.” 

After a moment, Steve said, “You have still two hours before dawn… approximately, looking at the time in Europe and your last location. Can you do something for me?” 

Tony raised his eyebrow, still trying to connect some wire inside the helmet, “Sure, no problem. How about a coffee? One sugar and milk, right?”

“No,” there was a smile in the Captain’s voice, “I just want you to tell me what you can see around you.” 

“Well…” Tony stopped and looked around, squirting his eyes in the darkness, “I can see only trees and bushes, some flower I think… something strange over there, probably poisonous…” 

“Don’t eat anything, please.” 

“I wasn’t going to, thank you. Hum…. There’s this giant rock against my back, musk on it… everything kind of wet, is probably going to rain soon.” He breathed, “That’s it.” 

“Ok…” Steve was kind of far away, like he was doing something else… probably writing everything down. “Where’s the landing’s traces?” 

“I followed it to the rock.” 

“Have you checked behind it?” 

Tony blinked, “Behind…?” 

“Behind the rock. The other side.” 

Tony slowly tried to stand, one more time with pain flashing everywhere.

“What are you doing?” asked Steve, “It can wait, no need to-” 

Tony wasn’t listening, placing a hand on the rock, trying not to fall down. Keeping the helmet in the other hand, he slowly moved one foot at the time until he was on the other side and then he stopped, “Goddammit…” he said: the woods continued on that side too but, even in that darkness, a line of destruction was clear to spot. 

“What?” come Steve’s voice. 

“Why you always have to be right?”

“Am I?” 

“I think the suit hit the rock…” Tony looked at it then back at the traces, “that’s why JARVIS pushed me out. He continued to fly even after the crash.” 

“You can see the suit?” 

“No, but the traces go ahead into the woods.” Tony sighed, looking up, “Not enough light yet.” 

“Ok… you have two choices then.” 

“Lucky me…” 

“You can sleep for some hours, or you can take care of that branch you have in your side.” 

“I’m not gonna touch it.” 

“I know. You have something to keep it still then?” 

Tony looked around, “I can rip one of my sleeves.”

“It’s almost winter, Tony.” 

“I’ve slept in the snow already… bit of rain wouldn’t be a problem.” He slowly began to rip the sleeve almost at the shoulder, helping himself with a sharp piece of the helmet, and then tried to use it like a bandage around his torso. Was just one round, but Tony took it as a win, stopping it over the good side, feeling the pressure under the branch, “Steve?” 

“Yeah?” 

“Just checking you’re still there.” 

“I don’t have programs for tonight.” Said the Captain, “How’s the bandage?” 

“Don’t know if it will really help, but… done.” 

“If you don’t want to remove it, it will help for now.” 

“Hurts like a bitch…” 

“Well, you still have the other option.” 

“Shut up, Cap.” Huffed Tony, looking at the crashing line again, then sighed and said, “Actually, don’t. I really miss JARVIS.” 

“He’s not- you can’t talk with him?” 

“Apparently not.” 

“So I’m your new JARVIS now?” 

Tony huffed a laugh, almost feeling the Captain’s facepalm, “You’re not that bad. Polite, bossy and sassy enough…”

“Well, thanks, I guess.” 

“You can talk with him from there?” 

“Not yet. Bruce tried, but he seems to be… deactivated?” 

Tony placed his head against the rock, “Poor guy probably got lost in a mess after the hit.” 

“Was strong enough to turn him off?” 

“No idea.” Tony hissed again, carefully moving a hand under the wound. 

“Ok, enough for now. You can rest until dawn. Can you keep the communication on?” 

“I guess…” Tony looked at the helmet, “So far it will keep working.”

“No battery problem?” 

The inventor sighed, closing his eyes. 

“A problem at the time. Got it.” Nodded Steve, as if he could see him, “I’ll wake you in some hours if I don’t hear something from you sooner.” 

“A very nice alarm clock.” Said Tony, trying to sit again against the rock, feeling some raindrop falling on his head. He sighed looking at the sky and fell asleep before he could say something else. 

 

“…up. Stark, wake up. Are you there?” 

Tony sighed, “Shut up JARVIS…” 

Moment of silence then “Not today, _Sir_. Come on, wake up.” 

He opened his eyes, smiling, “Are you really trying to pretend to be an artificial intelligence right now, Captain?” 

“If that’ll help you to wake up, then yes.” 

Tony looked at the now more clear forest and shivered at the cold air. And at the terrible pain in his side. 

“You slept for three hours.” Informed Steve, “Time to move and being rescued, alright?” 

“Sounds good.” Tony slowly sat on the ground and even slower, he moved to stand. 

“How’s the wound?” 

“It stopped bleeding, I think.” 

“Let it be, then. You’ll need something else to stop the bleeding anyway even if you wanted to take off that branch.” 

Tony kept to himself the fact that the more he waited, the more he could feel the branch inside. He would like to take it off, but he was too much scared about the aftershock and faint was the last thing he needed right now. “News from the rescue squad?” 

“Clint will be in Paris in one hour to join Natasha. The French SHIELD’s section is already working on your signal, trying to found out where did you landed.” Steve paused, then asked, “You really don’t remember where you were before being hit?” 

Tony tried to think, “I wasn’t over Russia… not over Greece nor Italy…” 

“Ok. Where were you coming back from, then?” 

“Uh… Serbia, I think.” 

“You think?” 

“I’m sure. Was Serbia.” 

“Alright…” Steve’s voice become a bit far away, talking to someone else, “…No, he’s awake.” 

Suddenly the voice changed, “Tony? How are you?” Asked Bruce. 

“Amazingly, like always. Having fun trying to resurrect JARVIS?” 

The Doctor sighed, “I have no idea what happened to him. He just- it’s like he need a reset.” 

Tony nodded, looking behind the rock again while a thunder rumbled in the sky, “And I’m the only one that can do that.” 

“We can’t?” Asked Steve. 

He shook his head, “If he didn’t let you do it so far, means he need- well, he need my assistance for once.” 

“Some… some kind of password or code?” 

Tony smiled at the tentatively voice from Steve, “Not that easy, Cap. He probably need the vocal asset to-“ He almost slipped and grasped at one tree with a groan of pain right after. 

“You ok?” asked Bruce. 

“Yeah… bit slippery here…” Tony breathed fast, moving closer and following the traces of the crash. 

“The suit can’t be too far, right?” Said Steve and probably Tony and Bruce made the same face. 

“It depends from the speed before the impact.” Bruce said slowly, “If JARVIS kicked him out, it was probably dangerous enough.” 

“It sure was… hey, there are wolves in European’s forest?” 

“Yes.” Answered the others, together. 

“Nice. Good to know.” Commented Tony, walking slowly on the smooth line left from the suit on the ground, “Nat and Clint will found out if someone had shot down Iron Man with a rocket, sooner or later… they will found out, right?” 

“She’s working on it already. I talked to her before.” Assured Bruce, “And we’ll join them today.” 

“You need to pack everything you’ll need?” Asked Steve. 

“I’ll do that now. Plane is set in one hour right?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Alright… be right back.” 

Tony heard Bruce leaving, then he said, “You should prepare as well, Captain.” 

“I am.” 

He blinked, hearing actually some rustle and a zip, “Are you- you’re talking to me while you’re dressing?” 

“Yeah- wait, what?” 

“At least you still don’t know how to start a video chat…” 

“I’m not- I just need to prepare my bag, I was ready to leave yesterday, but Bruce asked me to wait for him.” 

Tony smiled a bit, “So you’re using the wireless com I gave you all?” 

“They’re kind of useful.” Steve was walking, then he stopped somewhere and said, “Tony, honestly, how you feeling?” 

Tony stopped as well, laying a hand on the closest tree, “Honestly?” 

“Honestly.” 

“Hungry, thirsty, dirty and like I have a piece on wood in my back…. Oh wait, that’s actually what it is.” 

Steve voice hid a little smile, “Don’t overdo it. Stop and rest when you need it. And watch out for some river, could come in handy.” 

“It sure would…” sighed Tony, trying to hear around him but there was only the cold, light rain hitting the trees; looking down, the leg still in the suit was all covered with scratches and dirt. “I just have to walk… can’t be that hard.” 

If Steve was worried, his voice didn’t showed it this time, “One step at the time.” 

Tony nodded and proceeded through the bushes, “It’s raining there in New York?” 

“No, it’s pretty hot today.” 

“Well, took some umbrellas. You’ll need it.” 

“Noted.” 

Tony looked down at the helmet he was keeping in hand, hearing a beeping sound. He sighed, “Hey Steve, how about… I’ll call you back in one hour?” 

“Why? What happened?” 

“Just the signal… is going to be weak so better if I-“ 

“It’s the battery, isn’t it?” 

“Yeah, it’s the battery.” Tony admitted with a sigh.

“How long will last?” 

“I don’t know…” 

“You know.” 

“It’s all broken, I can’t read how much left, but… I think a day. Maybe more, if I turn it off sometimes.” 

“Are you sure you’ll be able to turn it on again?” 

“Pretty sure… ish.” 

“Tony…” 

“Come on, I’m somewhere in Europe, it’s not Asgard. I’ll be fine.” 

“If something happens-“ 

“You can’t do much about it anyway, so prepare yourself and add some snacks in that bag- even better, a lot of them. And a bottle of whiskey, if you don’t mind.” 

A little laugh, “I’ll see what I can do.” 

“Later then.” 

“Tony.” 

“Yeah?” 

“Be careful.” 

Tony smiled tiredly, “Yes sir.” And clicked something, turning off the helmet. He stared at it in silence for a moment, scared at the possibility that he actually couldn’t turn it back on. Shaking his head, Tony looked back at the traces and kept walking: one step at the time. One step at the time… 

 

And that’s what he did, actually losing sense of time, but he was calmer now, impossible as it could be. 

Tony wondered when was the last time he walked into a forest for no particular reason and couldn’t remember it. He was always busy, always running or, well, flying somewhere, meeting someone, fighting something, even if the last one was a recent thing. 

No time to relax, no time to look at the sky or breath the smell of rain and trees… that hippy stuff wasn’t for him, but still. He kind of remember Aunt Peggy and Jarvis with him in some woods… or maybe he wasn’t thinking straight anymore. 

Tony stopped one more time, a hand under the branch, and then he raised the helmet: he didn’t bothered to hide the sigh of relief when he saw the lights appear into it. “Hey there?” 

A buzz, some crackling, then a voice, “Damn Tony, where have you been?” asked Bruce. 

“I don’t know, still lost into the woods I guess?” 

“We waited for your call for like two hours.” 

“Oh… well, sorry about that. Forgot my watch at home.” He heard a sigh, “Where’s Steve?” 

“He’s talking with Natasha. We’ll be in Paris soon.” 

Tony huffed a laugh, “Fury’s gonna be happy to send the Avengers to the other side of the world…” 

“He really was.” Said Bruce with irony, “He’s also worried. In Paris, they still can’t say where you are.” 

“Hide and seek Stark-level. Good luck with that.” 

“You understand that is you being in danger, right Tony?” 

“I know Bruce, I know that pretty well…” Sighed the other, then stopped, listening, “I hear it.” 

“What?” 

“Water.” He walked forward, “I think it’s a river…” 

“Good to know. You can reach it?” 

“I think so.” Tony heard the water closer and closer on the right, until he saw the little river through the woods, “It’s a bit lower from where I am…” 

“Don’t run for it. Watch your steps.” Bruce, always the voice of wisdom. 

Tony walked closer, abandoning the trace of the armor crash, and slowly descend the little cliff, finding the river pretty large now that he was closer. “Mission complete.” 

“Drink slow and try to clean the wound, if you can.” 

And Tony did that: feeling the amazing sensation of the water relieving his dry throat; he then raised the shirt a bit, slowly passing water around the wound, sending painful flashes through his body and Bruce heard it. 

“Tony you have to take it out.” 

“Not today.” 

“It’ll keep hurting and probably get infected.” 

“It’s already infected… I think.” 

“So you need to-“ Bruce was cut off from a groan, hearing a body fall down, “Tony? Tony what happened?” 

_It hurts. It hurts like a bitch, like a damn, angry, evil bitch_ , Tony would like to scream that, kneel on the riverside, knowing that standing up now would be even more painful than before. “I can’t, Bruce.” 

The Doctor took a deep breath but didn’t say anything more about it, “You managed to clean it a bit?” 

“Yeah…” Tony looked at the left, the river disappearing into the woods, “I think I can hear a waterfall... it’s still far away, though.” 

“Ok. That will help us with the research… did you found the suit?” 

“On my way, boss.” Tony shivered and put down the shirt again, blinking away the rain from his eyes, “I’ll… I’ll probably need to cover somewhere soon. The rain is going to be heavy.” 

“You can find some place to stay for a bit?” 

Tony looked back at the “path” the suit left on the ground, “Only one way to found out.” He drank some other water and then stand again, moaning in pain, slowly climbing back the little hill and follow the traces. 

“Steve took you words seriously, you know?” said Bruce after a bit. 

“About what?” 

“He asked for umbrella and snacks.” 

Tony laughed a bit. The he looked ahead, not sure if that was a rock or a wall hiding behind the infinite number of trees, “Still nothing from JARVIS?” 

“SHIELD tried to force him and the system shut down itself.” 

“Well done SHIELD…” 

“I’m working on it. Not that it will make a big difference…. We still need you to reset it. You could’ve made just some easy password like Steve said.” 

“I’ll take care of it when I’ll be back.” Tony passed a hand on his wet face, “I think I’m close to the end of the road…” 

“You found the suit?” 

Tony walked through some bushes around a rock, the traces lost in there, and all he could say was “Ohshi-” before the ground disappeared under his feet and he fell down.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the support on the fic <3  
> I'm fighting to post these chapters fast, really x-x

That was bad. He wasn’t sure how bad it was, but sure as hell was a _big_ bad.

Tony opened his eye at the rain dripping on the gray ground his cheek was placed against… gray, hard and sharp stone. He blinked a couple of times and slowly became aware of two things: first, there were red stains on the ground; second, he screamed in agonizing pain when he tried to move. 

“FUCK. Fuck... ok… ok…” He blinked fast, trying to clear his vision: he was laying on his stomach, one leg stuck somewhere behind him. He turned his head a bit: the wood branch wasn’t where it should be anymore and in its place there was a big red stain, on the shirt and beneath him. “Ok…ok that’s fine…” Tony whispered, breathing hard and fast, trying not to faint once again. The helmet… where was the helmet?

He looked a bit around but there was only forest and rocks. He slowly rolled on his still good side, another scream almost escaping his lips. He placed a hand on the wound and looked ahead: he was on the edge of a rock that probably saved him from breaking his neck into the river some meters below. He then looked at the stuck leg, the one with the armor on, blocked between two stones and some other branches. Looking up, he shivered at the fall he had made from the top of the cliff and at the colder air after the sunset.

Suddenly some static sound made him look at the edge again. 

Tony waited a moment and then the static sound repeated. “Bruce?” he called, “S-Steve?” he tried to stretch, grabbing the edge with one hand. 

Static for a long moment, then “Tony, thank God.” 

The inventor sighed, “I ever told you that I really, really like your voice, Cap?” 

“What happened? We suddenly lost you for almost all day!” 

“I fell.” 

“I heard you screaming a moment ago.” 

“Yeah…” Tony looked down at the wound, “Good news: the branch is gone.” 

“You removed it?” 

“No… I think I have to thanks the fall for that.” 

A moment of silence, then Steve’s voice was serious, “You’re bleeding?” he asked and the other just sighed, “Damn it… Tony, you have to stop the bleeding.” 

“I think it- already stopped by itself…” 

“You have to cover it.” 

“With what?” 

“I don’t know, find something!” 

“Yes sir.” Tony said tiredly, looking around, but there was nothing to use, so he just moved the bandage he had made with the shirt and positioned it better on the wound, tightening the knot, wincing at the pain. 

“How much blood have you lost?” 

“I’m still alive, am I?” 

“That’s not-” 

“It’s alright,” he said, “I tried to- to block it now. I- I have nothing else, Steve… unless you want me half-naked in this woods. Under a storm.” He sighed, passing a hand over his eyes. 

“Is it raining?” 

“Pretty heavy, yeah.” 

Another moment of silence, then “You can move?” 

“Not yet… my leg is trapped. Or, well, the suit is. I need to… free myself from it.” 

“Where are you going?” 

Tony huffed and stretched close to the edge again, “I think the helmet is stuck somewhere beneath me… I can’t reach it right now. Hang on.” 

“You said the battery wasn’t going to last long.” 

“You’re the one that should keep me in the positive thinking, you know?” 

Silence, then a low “Sorry.” 

Tony laughed a bit, “Don’t be so puppy eyes right now, please… or should I say puppy voice.” He tried to sit without screaming for the pain in his side, but he only managed to fall back on the ground again with a groan. “Hey… where’s Bruce?” 

“He was leaving with Natasha. He- after your fall he was nervous, he couldn’t stay here for too long. We landed and he decided to go with her.” 

“T-to where?” 

“On another plane. They’re flying- hum, Belgium, I think. Another S.H.I.E.L.D.’s group left for the Switzerland.” 

“What a nice tour… and they left you at the base?” 

“I’ll take another plane when S.H.I.E.L.D. will tell me where’s better to go. Based on the info you told us.” 

Tony nodded and took a deep breath before pushing up, grabbing a branch to not fall back again, feeling the pain in the side stronger than before. He breathed fast trying to unlock the armor from around his leg and when the pain was reaching the breaking point, he broke a wire and then the armor opened. His back crashed on the ground again right after, making him gasp and free half of a scream. 

“Tony? What’s wrong?” 

He sighed, staring at the rain falling from the dark sky, “Everything, Rogers. Pretty much… everything.” 

“Your leg is free?” 

“Yeah…” 

“And fine?” 

He checked slowly, “Yeah… I think.” Tony turned against the edge and grabbed it with both hands, sliding forward: the river was running some meters away from him and the helmet was stuck between a rock and a group of branches. “I see the helmet… I think I’ve made a really great job with it if it’s still working.” 

“Can you take it?” 

Tony tried to push himself down, but the fingers just brushed on it. He huffed, leaving one arm hanging down, “No… too far. Maybe I-” Tony’s breathe suddenly interrupt and broke in some coughs. He frowned. 

“Maybe you what?” asked the voice from the helmet. 

“I… I can…” Tony stared into the nothing for a moment and then quickly turned on one side, pushing up his t-shirt: the reactor’s light was flashing on and off. A crack was visible on the glass’ surface. 

Tony stared at it for who knows how much time, hearing only a high pitch ring while the crack shined in the blue light. 

“TONY, answer me!” Boomed Steve, almost scaring him. 

“Y-yeah.” Tony said, “Sorry. Still here.” 

“You’re ok?” 

“Uh-uh.” Nodded him, pushing down the t-shirt, “Just… looking at the view. It’s not too bad.” 

“This is not the moment for-“ 

“I just needed to distract myself from my dying situation for a moment, sorry about that.” 

“It’s not- it won’t be a dying situation.” 

“You sure? Because I’m the one with a gash on my side and lost somewhere in a forest, so it’s kind of hard not to see it that way.” 

“We’ll find you. Give us another day and you’ll be back home.” Tony just sighed and Steve added, “We’re not giving up on you, Stark. No one is.” 

“I know. I- I appreciate the effort, and…and…” 

“And what?” Steve’s voice sounded on the edge of breaking something, “Tony I swear, if you’re just looking at the sky again-”

“The suit.” 

“The suit?” 

“My suit.” Tony was looking down: the Iron Man suit, or what left of it, laid abandoned into the water, against a group of rocks, “I can see my suit from here.” 

“Good. How far is it?” 

“Some meters down. Into the river.” 

“You can climb down?” 

Tony looked at both sides of the rock he was on: he could try to go down, but his wound wouldn’t be pleased. Not a bit. “I can.” He said slowly. 

Steve probably heard something in his voice because he asked, “Are you sure?” 

“I need the suit, Steve.” 

“And we need you alive.” 

Tony coughed again, scowling, “I know… but for that, I need my suit… and my new American JARVIS sure would be a nice plus.” He stretched again, trying to reach the helmet. He grasped it with a hand and almost lose balance, gasping for a second before helping himself with the other hand and steady his body on the ground, breathing hard, “Ugh- got it.” He said and heard the soldier breath in relief. Slowly sitting again, Tony checked the status of the helmet, “Five hours, more or less.” 

“For what?” 

“The helmet will work for five hours, I think.” Tony looked sadly at it, hearing the Captain breathing, and knew that he was probably passing a hand over his face, or maybe through his blonde hair, “Sorry Captain but, like a said, I really need my suit.” 

“I know.” 

“I’ll try to throw the helmet down and- and take it back later.” 

“You can’t put it on?” 

“Not really.” Tony looked at the little pieces of metal inside the helmet that were like little, sharp thorns. Would take too much time and effort try to fix them. “I’ll- I’ll keep it with me as far as I can…” he slowly stood up, helping himself with the little tree that was growing under the rock he landed on, or more like _crashed_ on. He then let it be and even more slowly started to descend the cliff, one careful step after another through rocks and dust that rolled down at any movements. “You can keep talking, you know?” 

“I don’t want to distract you.” 

“I’m in pause.” 

“You can’t pause.” 

Tony sighed, “Cap, for God’ sake…” 

“Will be night soon, you want to stay stuck on a cliff all night, under the rain? Without anyone able to talk to you?” 

“What time is it?” 

“Almost 8 pm.” 

Tony looked at the dark sky, shivered and coughed again. 

“That doesn’t sound good.” Said Steve. 

“Free-climbing under the rain won’t really help to keep away the flu.” 

“You sure is just flu?” 

Tony smiled a bit, amazed from the Captain’ senses, “Yeah.” 

A little pause, then the other repeated, “You can’t pause, Tony. Not now… not there.” 

He nodded and continued to walk down, glad that the cliff was easy enough to descend… _enough_ , because when he stopped against a rock, he saw the last drop before reaching the riverside: at least two meters high, “Ok… almost there. Need to throw you away for a sec.” 

“You’ll be ok?” 

“Yeah, just… give me some time.” 

“I’ll give you five minutes.” 

Tony huffed a laugh and stretched an arm, letting the helmet fall over a little zone of grass close to the water. He stared at it until it stopped, safe, and nodded, “Ok… on my way.” He said, walking around the rock placing both hands on it, then looking painfully at the jump he still needed to do. 

“Come on, Stark.” Come Steve’s voice. 

“I know, I know...” he started to crouch and let his legs swing down from the edge, “It won’t be terrible… it won’t be painful… it’s fine… fine… f-UCK!” he landed on the riverside and the wound made him scream in pain, rolling on the grass that at least gave him some kind of relief. He felt a bad cut somewhere on his face. 

“Tony-”

“Don’t.” He interrupt, breathing hard, “Don’t ask me- if I’m ok. Just... don’t.” 

“Alright.” Steve stayed silent for precisely ten seconds, “You ok?” 

Tony coughed a laugh, “Shut up Steve.” 

“You’re hurt?” said Steve, voice more light. 

“Nothing new about that…” Tony shivered, sitting on the grass, looking at the suit into the water, “But we’ll find something else to be worried about.” 

“I’d prefer not to.” 

“The suit is- it’s in the water.” He heard the Captain sigh, “It will help stop the bleeding, right? Cold water? Clean the wound and stuff…” 

“But…” 

“I bet it’s not even that col-UHshit.” Tony withdrew his hand from the water almost instantly, “Goddammit its fucking cold.” He heard the other sigh, “Sorry. It’s very, fudging cold.” 

“Tony, I don’t think swimming into the river to reach the suit is the best idea right now.” 

“There’s no really much else I can do.” 

“I’m leaving now.” 

“T-to where?” 

“Whenever you are.” 

Tony huffed a laugh, “That’s very sweet, but you have no idea of where I am.” 

“I mean that I’ll-” Steve sighed, “Maybe we know where you are, you just have to wait, trust me.” 

“Steve…” 

“It’s just a matter of time.” 

“Can I just-“ 

“We’ll find you.” 

“Steve.” 

“Yes?” 

“Can I talk?” 

“Yes. Yes, sorry.”

Tony smiled tiredly, “You… you’ll take the mic with you?” 

“Yeah. Bruce can connect to this line too, he just- they said that I should keep talking with you while they work to find you.” 

“There’s not much you can do with the computers, uh?” 

“…Sorry about that.” 

Tony laughed a bit, “It’s ok… I need a JARVIS anyway.” 

“I’m going to the helicopter now, so-“ 

“So I’ll turn off the mic.” And he almost heard the soldier stop. 

“Why?” 

“Because you need to prepare and I… I need a moment to rest and- and have some privacy.” 

After a moment Steve said, “Sure. Of course. I’ll wait for the communication to come back, then. Thirty minutes and I’ll start calling for you.” 

“Thirty minutes and you can go back on alarm-clock mode.” 

“Alright.” 

“Later Stevie.” 

“Don’t make me wait, Stark.” 

“Never.” Tony said slowly and turned off the mic with a click. He stared at the helmet for a moment and then looked at the suit: was maybe two meters away from him, maybe less, but it would probably seem like kilometers. 

He took a deep breath and coughed again, hard this time. He pushed the shirt up again and looked at the light of the reactor that was blinking constantly now. A crack on that glass was probably his worst fear. How many times he had something like this hunting him in his nightmares…  
Putting down the shirt, Tony moved closer to a rock that covered him only partly, and laid down on his good side, hugging the helmet into his arms and trying to breath without explode in coughs for thirty minutes.

 

Tony woke up because of the pain: pain everywhere. 

He groaned, looking and hearing the river on his right, the rain still falling down from the storm that wasn’t ready to abandon him yet. It was dark all around, way darker than before, and Tony sent curses to everything while moving a hand to the helmet, pressing the button to turn it on. 

“-no, I’ll kill him myself when I find him… no, he wasn’t- Nat, I don’t know. No one told me anything, that’s why I had to steal a damn plane to-“ 

“C-can I interrupt?” Said Tony, shivering. 

Silence, then Captain America’s voice was closer and focused on him again, “I asked you not to make me wait.” 

“How- how much did I miss this time?” 

“One hour and half…” he then talked to someone else again, “Yeah, it’s him. Ok, keep me updated.” And then back to him, “What happened?” 

“I fell asleep…” 

“It was what I feared… how’re you feeling?” 

“In pain.” 

“The wound?” 

“Everywhere.” Tony didn’t heard him say anything and, really, what could he say? One of his teammate was wounded, lost somewhere and they were still searching for him with no result for days- 

“You need your suit.” Said Steve, interrupting his thoughts. 

Tony blinked, looking at it, into the river.

“You need your suit, Tony.” 

He breathed deeply and started to move, body cold and slow, but he manage to stand, a hand on the wound, keeping the helmet against his chest with the other, “Any tips about ice cold water?” 

“Not very subtle there, uh?” 

“I- I wasn’t trying to be, sorry. I thought that you were the right person for some advice.” 

“Just don’t think about it.” 

“Well, if that’s a hell of a plan.” Tony started to walk into the water, grateful that at least that piece of river was calm and not very deep. “Oh- oh fudge… son of a cow...” 

“You can talk normally, you know?” 

“I’m so pissed right now that I can’t even do that, thank you and shut up.” Tony felt the icy water hitting his knees and then his hips but seemed to stop there all the way to the suit, “Oh b-baby, I missed you.” He said checking it: the body missed half of one leg -the one he left on the cliff- and the helmet, but the rest wasn’t in a better state, with a big slash on the frontal panel, scratches everywhere and multiple cracks on the back and over the arms. “JARVIS?” Tony clicked on some buttons but the suit didn’t flinched. 

“How is it?” 

“I would probably got some broken bones staying inside…” Tony said, keep working on it, “The crash was pretty hard.” He looked back at the cliff but in that darkness was impossible to see the precise direction from where the suit came.

“You can use it?” 

Tony stopped, “No. It’s… it’s dead.” He said, passing a hand over his face. The rain was becoming heavier minute after minute. 

“The gps?” 

“What part of the word _dead_ you don’t understand?” Barked Tony and the other stayed silent. He breathed and coughed: this time was hard to stop and when he could breathe again, Steve was calling for him, “’fine.” He said, breathless. 

“That’s not fine, you couldn’t breathe!” 

“I can now.” 

“What happened? Why you can’t breathe?” 

“I CAN BREATHE.” This time Tony almost roared, and cough again, few coughs, but Steve didn’t say anything else. Tony sighed, shaking his head, “The reactor’s broken.” He said and for a long moment there was only silence. He almost started wondering if the Captain knew what that could mean. 

“You can do something about it?” asked Steve, instead. 

“No.” 

“You don’t have one for emergency in the suit?” 

“They are not for sale in the mall, Rogers. There’s only two more of them and both are in my house, in Malibu.” 

“And when were you planning to tell us about this?” 

“When I was sleeping in my bed. With dear Bruce healing my wounds, maybe.” 

“How much time before you can’t use it anymore?” 

Tony made some calculation and sighed, “Probably one hour, maybe two…” 

“And then what?” 

“Then I’ll need to run because it will explode.” 

“So you have to remove it?” 

“Yes.” 

“But you need that to live.” 

“Yes.” Tony leaned on the suit, forehead against the metal, “Steve, I’m sorry-“ 

“I don’t need your sorry.” Steve’s voice was angry now, “None of us need it. You need to be rescued, to be stitched up and now you need a new reactor too.” 

“Pretty much, yeah.” 

“And then you wonder why I can’t stand you…” 

“How could I know that-” 

“Why you never ask for help? Why you never- you don’t want to trust us, I get it, but talk to us, just TALK.” 

“I was just-” 

“We’re flying all over the Europe for days, because of you, not for fun, and you can’t even help us helping you!” 

Tony opened his mouth to talk, but then closed it again. 

“I asked you what’s wrong, many times, and you didn’t say anything.” 

“The reactor broke when I fell.” Said quietly Tony, staring at the water, starting to feel the legs go numb, “The rest was… still the same.” The cold water felt nice on the wound, though. 

Steve didn’t say anything. Just silence as cold as the night. 

“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but- come on, there was nothing you or me could do about it anyway.” 

“Oh really?” 

“You can’t create one reactor right now, I sure can’t, and I doubt you will find me in two hours, so what’s the point on make you all feel even worse?” 

“Sorry, are you actually saying that abandon you to die it’s the only option we have?” Steve’s voice was now close to explode and Tony sighed before hearing the angry Captain roar “ARE YOU GOING COMPLETELY INSANE OR WHAT?!” 

Tony put the arm through the helmet’s neck-hole and then in the now empty space where it should be the face plate, just before the suit slipped away and he got his arm stuck in it, both following the river’s flow under the rain. 

Tony kept going down into the water and then up to get some air, seeing only water and darkness when he dared to open his eyes and when the suit hits something, he smashed against it and screamed at the pain coming from the wound. Gasping and coughing, he grabbed the suit shoulders, stayed attached to it as his life depending on it… and probably it was. 

“-wer me! Ton-“ 

He heard some static and the voice of the Captain again, but he kept his eyes closed, trying to breathe and not think about the pain and the cold and the broken reactor… and how stupid all this situation was. 

“Tony please, answer me.” 

He just shook his head, shoulders going up and down way too fast. 

“I know you’re still there.” 

“No, I’m not.” He said half voice, slowly looking at the helmet he still had on his arm, the eyes two black holes. 

Steve took a breath, “What happened?” 

“S-suit slipped… I- I’m in the water…” 

“Away from the shore?”

“I d-don’t know.” 

“You can’t stay there.” He said and Tony almost laughed, looking away, “You can’t stay all night in the water, Tony. You need to reach the-” 

“I can’t.” Tony could only see dark all around him.

“Yes, you-“ 

“My arm is- is stuck in the suit.” And when the other didn’t say anything, Tony knew that Steve Rogers was the last person that deserved to hear all of this, “Listen, w-where’s Bruce? I can talk to him while you… I don’t know, while y-you go give some orders or- or to punch a p-punching-bag with my face on it.” 

“I can’t reach them. They got a lead hours ago. We’re close to you.” 

“Or m-more far away.” 

“Tony, come on…” 

“I’m trying, ok? I’m here, I’m stuck, I can’t do anything else! Really, what d-do you want from me? I have to cut off my arm? I can try, if that-“ 

“What do you want _me_ to do, then? Just hang up and wait for the news that the heroic Iron Man is dead because of a bad landing? _Awesome flying man_ my ass.” Shot back the soldier. 

Tony closed his eyes, laughing against his blocked arm. 

“Oh, glad to humor you. Feel better now?” 

“W-when and where did you learn about t-the awesome flying man?” 

“Was on a magazine.” 

“I just n-needed to hear that… t-thanks.” 

“You’re welcome. Now can you try to free yourself and wait for us to come and save you?” 

Tony winced at the pain when he moved and pushed back, trying to free his arm. He pushed, pushed again until he just fell against the suit, breathless. “Sorry… not a s-super soldier here.” He waited for a bit, feeling the raindrops hit his head, thinking about the poor soldier on the other side of the call, “Steve...” 

“Yeah?” 

“Where are you?” 

“Flying over the France’s border.” 

“Got a nice view?” 

“I see two different storms.” 

“Pick one, maybe you’ll be lucky. M-more than me for sure.” 

“How can you joke about this?” 

“B-because I don’t know what else to do…” Tony breathed slowly, coughing again, then put a hand on the reactor, “I’ll… I’ll have t-to remove it in a bit. The reactor.” 

"You said one hour-" 

"I'd like to not fell asleep with a bomb in my chest ready to explode."

“Alright... How much can you stay without it?” 

“You d-don’t wanna know.” 

“Tell me.” 

“In t-this conditions, luckily thirty minutes... m-maybe bit more.” He hoped that Steve’s face wasn’t all covered in rage and sadness, so he tried and make an effort, “But if you guys are close enough, you could see the explosion.” 

“That… that could actually help us. Can you- you’ll be far from it, right?” 

“I can only t-throw it away. Will be my lucky shot, don’t worry.” 

“You better do a decent one.” 

“I’ll try.” Tony looked at the river, starting to feel sleepy, “So t-that’s how it felt…” 

“What?” 

“Being stuck in the water.” There was a moment of silence. Tony almost apologize. 

“You’re not going to be stuck in there forever. And you’re not on a plane, by the way.” Said Steve, voice flat.

“Details, just d-details…” huffed the inventor, still thinking, remembering his dad’s face coming back home after days spent searching for Captain America: sad, angry, desperate Howard Stark. “You were talking to her… Peggy?” 

A little pause, “Yeah.” 

“You really talked to her until the end?” 

“She stayed there with me. For me.” A little laugh, “Sorry you just have me to make you company.” 

“That’s ok. I’m not that picky on goodbyes.” 

“It’s not a goodbye, Tony.” 

“That’s what you said to her too?” Tony closed his eyes, wishing to be able to punch himself. “Sorry. I- I’m not sure what I’m s-saying anymore.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Said Steve, between some static, but his voice was different, “You don’t know about my last transmission? From the plane?” 

“No… m-my dad never let me hear it and t-then- then I stopped searching for it. SHIELD probably have it somewhere…” Tony keep thinking about it, “She heard the water?” he whispered, “She heard you…?” 

“What? Tony, do you copy?” 

Tony looked at the helmet. “Batteries… started to die.” 

“Damn it… ok, I’ll stay here until-“ 

“No, Steve.” Tony slowly sent a hand on the reactor, “I’m gonna remove the reactor and after I did that it won’t be… I won’t s-sound very cute.” 

“I don’t care, I can-” 

“I don’t want you to hear it.” 

“Tony come on, I can stand some scream.” 

“This is different...” Tony said slowly, hearing the beep from the reactor: he pulled it out and throw it away in the darkness in front of him, wincing at the flash of pain from his side. “Not sure how much will t-take to the explosion… but its thirty minute for me…from now.” He grabbed better the helmet, feeling his breathing going hitching already, trying to keep the hole in his chest above the water.

“Ok, just keep talking to me and-” 

“No, I told you.” 

“You really want to stay alone in a moment like this?” 

Tony remembered Aunt Peggy too: the tears ready to fall every time some picture of Steve appeared somewhere, and the fake smile about those memories… What he didn’t wanted on Steve’s face, was another level of fake sentiments. “You don’t need to hear it.” 

“Don’t hang up.” Said Steve. 

“I’ll see you in a bit, ok?” 

“Tony-“ 

“It’s not on you, Stevie. No hurt feelings.” 

“Damn it, can you listen to me-“ 

“This is my choice.” Said Tony with anger, “I don’t have to listen to you… I rarely do that anyway.” He huffed a laugh and closed the communication. He let the helmet go and finally closed his eyes, hugging the suit, trying to breathe slowly in the cold darkness that seemed more and more like the depths of the ocean.

.  
.  
.

.-.-.-.  
*Fix some unclear things about Tony remembering Howard and Peggy + I really doubt Tony didn't listen the last Steve's talk from the plane... I just put it that way to fit better in this story.*


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we go, last part.  
> Kid's birthday party can be a hell, but I just found a Captain America's poster in there, so I DID NOT stared at it half of the time. No no. I'm a mature fangirl. *liesAllLies*  
> Thanks for the kudos and comments, always appreciate them! Hope you all will enjoy the ending, because I sure did. 
> 
> (...I wonder how many Sherlockians are reading this... *hints hints* )

From that moment, Tony lost contact with reality and knowing that, just sent him in constant fear and panic, but he didn’t had enough energy to move or scream or anything. 

He heard the water, voices, strange sounds… some kind of chainsaw that managed to make him flinch, trying to run away, but hands were there to stop him and he wasn’t sure if he actually screamed something or fight them, but then was all darkness.  
After that, was like having a dream, woke up for a moment and then fall into another dream again. Not even the time to wonder if you woke up at all in the first place.  
The voices were low now, like whispers… in some way creepier, but he couldn’t do anything about it: keep dreaming, keep sleeping and waiting. Just waiting.

 

When Tony managed to keep his eyes open for more than ten seconds, he saw a room covered in light orange shades. His breathing faltered for a moment, then someone was close to him, taking his hand and he flinched back but the hand didn’t leave him.

“Tony?” 

He tried to focus and looked on his left… and he stopped trying to get away. 

Natasha smiled a bit in the orange light, her red hair bright like the sunset, “It’s ok. You’re safe now, but you need to rest. Sleep and don’t be afraid ok? We got you.”

Tony didn’t say anything, even if he wanted to ask about the woods, the reactor, his life, my God how he was still alive? But… he just stared at her, because if Natasha says you’re safe, you believe her, no questioning. So he closed his eyes again. No nightmare this time. Just… nothing at all. 

 

When he woke up again, the room wasn’t orange anymore, just a weak gray light passing through the curtains of a large window. He heard some car in the distance, some voice outside the little room he was in… 

Tony looked on the right: Natasha was sleeping, sitting on the couch with Clint’s head on her lap, he also asleep, an arm down, brushing the floor; on the left, Steve was sleeping on a chair close to the bed, with his legs stretched on another chair, arms crossed over his chest, head slightly bend forward. 

Tony looked at him, seeing his shoulder go up and down in a steady and not very slow rhythm but he knew it was normal for the super soldier. He noticed a bandage on his arm, some dark stains on his shirt… why was Steve wounded? 

He would like to know, to talk, to hear his voice again because he could finally do it with him in person, no metallic voice from a broken helmet that turned it in a so cold sound… but Tony just took a deep breath and fell asleep again.

 

The third time he woke up, Tony felt more awake, more present and, in fact, the first thing he did was placing a hand on his chest and look under the tunic (gosh, an hospital tunic? Really?) he was wearing: one of his arc reactors was there, bright and working. Tony sighed in relief and looked at the ceiling for a moment, then tried to stand on his elbows and look around: the room was empty; the rain was falling outside the window. 

Tony looked at it for a moment, then sat better and winced, putting a hand on his side and he remembered: half of his chest was bandaged to keep still a big patch over the now stitched up wound that that lovely branch had left on him. He took a relieved breath, coughing a bit right after. 

“You look pretty happy about your new scar.” Said Natasha, appearing in the doorway with a clearly calmer Bruce Banner. 

Tony smiled a bit, “Not all the memories can be good.” 

“How you feeling?” Bruce asked, removing his glasses and holding them in hand, standing close to the bed.

“Like I’ve been spit out from a tornado.” 

“That’s good.” 

“Oh really?” snorted Tony, raising his eyebrows. 

The other smiled, sitting on a chair close to him: he still had the medic tunic over the blue shirt and black trousers. “At least you’re not in mortal danger anymore, so it’s a progress.” He said. Tony just stared at him. 

“It’s a miracle that you’re still alive, you know that?” Said Natasha, hugging herself into her warm, brown jacket.

Tony nodded slowly, looking down at his own chest, “I had to remove the reactor. I had to.” 

Bruce nodded, “I know, that’s how we managed to find you, actually, but-“ 

“It exploded?” 

“Yes. Steve saw it. He was the closest to you.” Bruce saw him still staring, so he added, “You were in Germany. He was flying there. In the right place at the right time, I guess.” 

Tony thought for a second, “He got hit by the explosion?” 

“No, he just saw it and found you not far from it. On a- uhm, at the top of a waterfall.” 

The inventor blinked, “A what?” 

“You and your suit were stuck on top of a waterfall.” Said Natasha sitting on the bed, next to his legs, “You probably didn’t got hit by the explosion because you managed to throw the reactor in the lake below. It followed the river for some kilometers. Away from you.” 

Tony huffed a laugh, thinking of what would’ve happened if he had thrown it the other way… but he thought about it just for a moment, before he looked up at the two and saw them better, really watching them: relieved, tired, hair a bit messy, voice low. “Sorry to make you all worry.” Said Tony, “I did a mess, didn’t I?” 

“ _A mess_ ?” Said Clint entering the room, “I think you fucked up so bad just a few times in all your life.” 

Tony nodded, “Probably. Did I beat some new record?” 

“You managed to have all the team after you, if you want to consider that as a challenge.” Clint sat next to Natasha, his jacket open on the black t-shirt he was wearing, “But you better not try to do it again.” 

“Deal.” Said Tony ironically. 

“What were you doing in Serbia, anyway?” asked Bruce. 

“I usually fly around for business, it’s nothing new.” 

“Someone shot you down, Tony.” Said Natasha, “Something was different this time.”

He looked at her then somewhere behind her, trying to remember, “I don’t know… I mean, I know that some people hates me, but- I can’t guess where or who is going to make me pay for my sins and how.” 

Natasha and Bruce stared at him with resignation, and Clint, like always, spoke for everyone saying, “You just got shot down with a rocket, crashing in a forest, almost died and you want to close the case like _Failed attempt to my life, number 10_ ?” 

“Ten? That’s cute…” 

“What the hell is wrong with you?” 

Tony sighed, half-laughing, “Hey, come on, I didn’t put it that way-” 

“No?” Bruce and Natasha said together, eyebrows rising in a sarcastic way. 

“I’m here, I’m fine, everyone is fine so yay, sushi for all. Everything’s on me, ok? You guys deserve it.” 

“We heard you.” Said Natasha, “Almost all the time before you fell close to the river. Talking with Steve.” 

Tony looked carefully at her, at Clint and then back at her, “I know, and you know how terrible the situation was. I’m not going to apologize for being the only realistic person here.” 

“ _Realistic_.” Repeated Clint, arms crossed, “That’s how being a quitter is called now?” 

“Enough.” Bruce hit his leg with a punch and the archer just snorted, shaking his head. 

“Sorry if I’m not a super soldier or a ninja spy ready to survive in deadly situations.” Said Tony with a serious voice. 

“Wasn’t about courage, I know you have that.” Shot back Clint, just as serious, “What I don’t get it, what Steve didn’t understand either, it’s why you were giving up on  
us so easily.” 

“Easily?” Tony said in disbelief, “I’m sorry, I slept for the last few days after a damn operation, but I thought that at least you were awake while I was stitched up, trying to be resurrected.” 

“Well, _I'm sorry_ if I’m hurting your feelings, but the situation didn’t looked so much worse than Afghanistan, in my opinion.” 

“Ok, ok. I think you need to walk this off.” Natasha grabbed Clint’s arm and dragged him out the door, ignoring any protest from the archer. 

Bruce followed them, then nodded at her in the doorway and took Clint away by himself. 

Natasha sighed and closed the door, looking back in the room: Tony was staring at the bed, hands close tightly on the sheets. She sat down again and put a hand on his, feeling him flinch a bit, just a bit. “It’s hard to believe, but even Clint was worried about you.” 

“Of course...” 

“He was.” 

Tony breathed slowly and deep, then looked up at her, “And he’s right. Wasn’t as bad as… as the days in Afghanistan.” 

Natasha looked at him for a moment and then decided to ask, “Then what happened this time?” 

“New York. That’s what happened.” Tony looked away, like he didn’t meant to say that aloud, then asked before she could speak, “Where’s the Captain?” 

She looked at him unsure if change the subject of the discussion was ok, but then answered, “I don’t know.” 

“Oh. Good. We lost the Captain now.” 

“He had been here during your operation. He was still around tonight.” She smiled a bit, “I can call him, if you want me to.” 

“No. No, he- he probably have something better to do… orders to give.” 

“You should talk to him.” Natasha insisted calmly, “He was… a bit shaken when you two arrived here. He haven’t talked much after that.” 

“Listen, I disappointed you all, I got that, just- can you hate me one at the time? Still a bit sored here, you know.” 

Natasha studied him with those eyes impossible to read, “You really haven’t read about the last transmission before Steve’s fall into the ocean?” and watching him stare, she added, “Steve asked me about it during your operation.”

Tony took a deep, quick breath, “No, I haven’t. Why should I?” 

“I thought you were interested in everything about him.” 

“Well, everything but that.” 

“Why?” 

“It’s-” Tony closed his mouth, then simply said, “It was personal.” 

Natasha huffed a laugh, “And from when you care to respect other’s privacy?” 

“I can do that… with people that deserve it.” He gave her a smirk, pressing gently a hand on the wound. 

“Fine, but you made him worry like crazy, so would be nice if you tried to…” she thought for a second, “to say thanks to him. For staying with you all the time.” 

“Still don’t know why you chose him for the assistance job, honestly…” 

“Because we knew he was the right person to keep you on the right track.” 

“Well, he did a hell of a job…” 

“He really did.” 

Tony looked at her, staring at him with a calm expression, and nodded. 

“Try to rest a bit.” Said Natasha standing, leaving the room with his boots clinking sweetly on the floor. 

Tony lay down again, closing his eyes certain that was impossible for him to sleep again after almost two days of just that, but he fell asleep without even realize.

 

He didn’t actually dreamed about the water, but woke up shivering and feeling like into an igloo. 

Tony hugged himself, sitting on the bed, staring at the feeble light outside and looking at the clock he reads 6 AM. He groaned in sadness and pain, slowly massaging the wounded side, then he shivered again and stood up, almost tripping on a backpack placed next to the bed. He looked at it in the dim light and slowly opened it: it was full of different kind of snacks. 

He stared at them with a little, ironic smile, passing a hand through his hair, remembering Bruce saying something about that. Tony left the bag, still hugging himself in the long sleeved shirt and sweatpants Natasha left to him, walking slowly to the door: the corridor was quiet into the semi darkness. 

Tony walked closer to the little light he saw ahead. When he reached it, he stopped one more time: Steve was writing on some papers, sitting on one of the couches in the little atrium illuminated by a single lamp, head down and focus on the pen that never stopped moving. He looked fine, still in casual clothes. 

“You should be in your bed.” Said the Captain without looking up. 

“I should.” Nodded Tony, trying to hide the little jump he almost made at the sound of his voice. He missed it.

“Then go back into it.” 

“C-can’t.” 

“It’s not a hotel room, but you’ll be fine.” 

“It’s not about t-that.” 

“Then wha-” Steve finally looked up at him and blinked, frowned and then asked “You’re ok?” 

“For once… no. I’m fr-freezing.” 

It took Steve something like three second to understand the situation and start moving into action: he stood up and order him “Sit down.” 

Tony saw him disappear behind the corner and sighed, sitting down, still shivering, eyes closed. He looked up when someone placed a blanket over his shoulders and saw a nurse smiling at him. 

“You should go back in your room, Mr. Stark.” Said the woman, gently but firmly. 

“C-can’t.” Tony was already shaking his head, “Too cold.” 

“We’ll add some blanket on your bed. It will become warm soon.” 

“T-then I’ll wait.” 

She didn’t looked very pleased, but nodded and move to help another nurse with the blankets, walking towards his room. 

He shivered again, looking at the documents on the little table, until a plastic glass with something steamy into it appeared close to his face. “Waiter too now?” 

“There’s a coffee machine behind the corner.” Answered Steve, “How you feeling?” 

“Still cold.” Tony grabbed the glass with both hands, enjoying the heat spreading on them and on his face. He took a sip and shivered, in pleasure, for once, at the hot liquid going down in his throat. “What are you writing?” he asked later, looking at the pages. 

“Just the report about your accident.” Steve said, sitting down again, “You can read it, if you want. Fury want your side of the story too.” 

“I bet he want it…” Tony took another sip. 

Steve frowned a bit, “He just want to help. He actually did it…” 

“Oh yeah?” 

“He managed to bring a new arc reactor here just in time.” 

Tony stopped and stared coldly at him, “He… he s-stole it? From my house?” 

Steve shook his head, “Pepper gave it to him. She called me as well, to… to inform me about it. And tell you, but you were still unconscious…” 

“So Fury just had passed some time with my reactor… amazing.” 

“He gave it to me as soon as he arrived here.” 

“I’ll need to do a check on it anyway. See if he did s-something or-“ 

“Tony.” Steve interrupt and he looked at him again, “The reactor was close in a box and only I could unlock it, with a code Pepper told me. Fury just bring it here. And saved your life.”

 _God bless Pepper Potts_ Tony thought and sighed, while another bad shiver made him tremble and the glass bent dangerously: Steve grabbed his wrist in time to save the coffee from spilling everywhere, “Damn it- I was fine before…” 

“You were sleeping a lot before.” Said Steve, letting him go.

“I didn’t shivered so much-” 

“You did.” Said the Captain and the other looked up at him, “When we take you here and- and the days after your operation, you were shaking worse that this, but…” 

“How’d you know?” 

“I was-” Steve saw him staring back with a blank face. He huffed out a breath, “I was there. Like the others. We all were here, checking on you. The shivering is normal after what happened to you. You’ll be fine in some days.” 

“You’re a doctor too? You’re on fire tonight.” 

“Its morning… and I know that because I had the same problem after I woke up from the ice.” 

Steve said that so nonchalantly, that Tony actually got the words late, too late, and the soldier’s eyes were back down on the documents already. He stared at him for a long moment, shivering, and then said, “Steve, I… I guess I own you one.” 

“Yeah… sorry, what?” Steve blinked and looked up with a puzzled expression. 

Tony almost physically saw a wall crashing between them. He shook his head, up on his feet again, “Nothing. Well, goodnight.” 

“It’s morning…” 

“Good morning then.” Said Tony without turning back. He hated it. He hated so much when that happened. He hated to feel that damn wall between him and the others. He tried, he was still trying, he just- this thing… _people, trust them_ …wasn’t his thing apparently. Why these connections were so weak and hard to create for him, was a mystery to himself. So problematic, so confusing… probably useless.

Just… it wasn’t. It wasn’t useless at all. 

He could’ve been alone again and in a situation worse than being lost in some woods; he could’ve been dead in panic and rage and bleeding by now; he could’ve been still wandering into the woods… but he wasn’t. 

He wasn’t alone this time, but was so strange thinking about it, that was probably better to feel like he was still on his own. Easier feeling like he'd felt for most of his life. 

“There you go. Bed ready and warm.” Said the older nurse with a polite smile. 

“Thanks.” Tony smiled a bit. Why was so easy say that to a nurse and almost impossible say it to Captain America? Well… reasons. 

Once the nurses left, Tony sat on the bed, still in the hug of the blanket and stared down at the backpack. He looked at his hands, the coffee forgotten in the atrium. He sighed… and shivered.

“Here.” 

He looked up and found Steve placing a new glass of steaming coffee on the bedside table. “No need to-” he saw him sat on the couch next to the entrance, documents and pen still in hands, continuing to stare at them, writing something. Tony blinked several times, “Uh… you… you need to do that in here?” 

Steve looked at him with the most impassible face, “Problem?” 

Tony opened his mouth, closed it, thinking and answered with a weak “No.” 

“Good.” Steve looked down again, “Someone have to stay here to check on you. SHIELD’s agents were tired, so I took their place for today.” 

_And you need to check on me staying here in my room, watching me sleeping?_ Tony stopped himself from saying that aloud. He just stared at the Captain, trying to say something serious, no joking, but then he managed to ask probably the most stupid question, “Did I- Not sure if I just imagined things, but I remember waking up and see your clothes stained in blood…” 

“They were.” 

Tony waited for something more, but apparently all the soldier’s attention was on the documents, “May I ask you why?” 

“Because you scratch worse than a cat.” 

Well, yeah, that was the kind of answer he wasn't ready for and it hit him like a ball in the face. “Excuse me?” 

“You put up some fight when I found you and in the trip to take you here… and before the operation, kicking and screaming… and scratching. I tried to calm you down before they put you to sleep.” 

“Me? I scratched your face?” 

“And my neck. And some good kick here and there.” 

“And you just let me kick your ass?” 

“You were sick.” 

Tony stared at him all the time and Steve didn’t looked at him once. Never looked up from the documents. He have done all that, and much, so much more, but it was like… He was talking like all that was just another mission, just ordinary stuff, some kind of hero-routine… just something needed to be done.

Tony felt a shiver ran over his body, but this time was anger. 

“And I didn’t meant to say that, but I’m still so mad at you right now, so angry at how you handled all this situation, that I’m seriously considering making you feel as bad as you like to feel so often.” Said the soldier.

Tony felt the anger disappear like magic, leaving place to something else… something worse, because Steve was now looking right at him and damn it all, maybe was better being ignored, after all. 

“Which is something I wouldn’t like to do, but it seems to be the only way that works with you.” Steve continued, “So you want to feel bad? You thought that we didn’t care at all, about you and your wellbeing and that we were ready to let you die _because it was easier_ ,” hard to say how much hate Steve used in those four words, “Well, you were wrong. We cared, we still care and you’re safe now, here, because of that. Because of us. That’s how a team works. Not my team, but _our_ team. We are ready to do everything we can for a friend, and the question I shouldn’t even feel the need to ask you right now, is if **you** are.” 

_Ouch_. New fact: Captain America is always a nice guy, but make him angry and he will drown you in guiltiness and shame for let him down. Without offering you tissues to dry the tears. 

Tony tried to say something back. 

“You better think twice on your words now, Stark.” Warned Steve, voice hard and sharp like a knife. 

The other stopped for a moment and then said, “Was a pretty bad situation, Cap, you have to admit.” 

“I do. But doesn’t mean you were dead already.” 

“Well, it’s hard to stay focus on happy t-thoughts when you’re bleeding to death, stuck in a river, lost somewhere in the middle of a storm.” He said looking straight at him, but in the end, he was the one that looked down again, “Listen, it was a bad moment, ok? I had lots of them in the past, ask Pepper, ask- ask half of the people that know me t-that much, for what I care…” he sighed, passing a hand over his face, “it’s a matter of fact. It’s just -“ 

“I don’t care about the past, Tony.” Said Steve, suddenly standing in front of him that flinched back a bit, straightening his back, “I’m the last person that can say something about bad decisions, anyway. But I asked you something and I just want the answer to my question… so that you’ll wait for us next time. Because if you’re part of the team, I’m sure there will be a next time with you in a bad situation.” 

Tony stared at him for a moment, then huffed a laugh, “Are you really asking a Stark to avoid bad decisions?” 

“I can forgive bad decisions. Not stupid ones.” 

Tony didn’t say anything for a long moment, staring at the Captain that didn’t move at all, looking back at him. In the end, he nodded and saw a hand waiting for he’s. “Oh, come on…” 

“Too scared to keep a promise?” 

“Not scared… just not good at keeping them.” He smiled a bit and grabbed it. 

“You can always try.” 

“I can try.” Tony said with a nod, then saw him crouch next to the bad and land the backpack on it, taking out a bag of chips, “And we celebrate the deal with chips and hospital coffee… that sound amazing.” 

“You asked for them.” 

“True that.” Tony grabbed the bag and ate some of them, feeling better, even if still cold. He then offered the bag to him that look at it unsure, “Hey, you didn’t bring champagne in golden goblets. Now join the party or get out.” 

Steve finally, _finally_ , dropped that Captain Stone face and smiled a bit, taking some chips, “Uh. Not too bad.” 

“Welcome to the future.” 

“You know that I’m waiting for your report on what happened, right?” 

“Now? Really? I’m in shock. Look, I’ve got a blanket.” 

“Alright, alright…” 

“How many chip bags did you get? Oh I love this one…” 

“Just… some.” 

“More like half of the shop.” 

“What? No, I just-”

“Captain Sweetheart is blushing.”

“…Shut up and eat your chips. _Sir_.” 

Tony almost choked at that and burst in a storm of coughs and laughs.  
.  
.

Natasha was at the entrance of the hospital, looking down at her phone with a worried look. She then looked up at Fury standing next to her, looking at the city. “Are they sure was the right place?” 

“Pretty sure.” 

“If it’s him… why shot down Stark? They don’t even know each other.” 

“I guess we’ll found out, sooner or later.” Said Fury, looking at her for a moment, before walk inside. 

She sighed and looked down at the video playing on the little screen: a man was leaving a crowded plaza. Half of a shiny metal arm was visible for a moment before the man disappeared thorough the people.  
.  
.  
.  
END  
.  
*This story (and the title) were inspired listening to the song "Future Holds" by Evoke & Laura Brehm ♫

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
